Device for controlling a hydraulically or pneumatically driven cartridge ramming mechanism of an automatic gun



H JamlO, 1967 c. M. CHRISTIANSSON 3,

DEVICE FOR CONTRQLLING A HYDRAULICALLY OR PNEUMATICALLY DRIVEN CARTRIDGE RAMMING MECHANISM OF AN AUTOMATIC GUN FiledNov. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1/ I III INVENTOR.

CARL MAC/R/TZ CHRIS T/ANS SON Jain: 10, 1967 DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A CARTRIDGE RAMMING FiledgNov. 24, 19e4 c. M. CHRISTIANSSON 3,

*HYDRAULICALLY OR PNEUMATICALLY DRIVEN MECHANISM OF AN AUTOMATIC GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

S INVENTOR.

CARL MAUR/TZ CHKISTIAN SON ited States Patent nnvron on CONTRiltLIJING A "HYDRAULICAL- LY0R1PNEUMATICALLY DRIVEN CARTRIDGE RAMMING MECHANISM or AN AUTOMATIC GUNM CarlyMauritzChristiansson, Bofors, Sweden, assignor to Aktieliolaget Boforsg Bofors, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden H Filed Nov. 24, 1964, Ser. ,No.,413,514 Claimsipriority, application Sweden, Nov. 26, 1963.

13,079/63 1 Claim. (Cl. 89-47) The invention relates to a device for controlling an hydraulic or pneumatical control means of a cartridgeramming apparatus of an automatic gun.

It isknown to the art that, a comparatively high fire power of "a gun over a considerableperiod of time, combined withj reasonable dimensions of cartridge magazine a ndiloading mechanism of the gun can be obtained by using a cartridge magazine in which the cartridges are arranged parallel: to each other and from which the cartridges are, one by one, discharged by lateral movement to a ramming mechanism, by which the cartridges are then pushed forward to the :cartridge-chamberof the barrel Inorder toobtain a high firing speed with such an automatic gun it is of utmost importance, that every operative sequence in conveying, cartridges from a cartridge-magazine of the gun to a cartridge-guide of the ramming mechanism in a position forbeing rammed, and for bringing forth theicartridge along said cartridge-guide to the cartridge-ehamber, proceed without substantial stop intervals for the cartridge at different stations on its way from the cartridge-magazine to the cartridge-chamber.

Forconveying a cartridge between different stations on its way from the cartridge-magazine to the cartridgechamber of the barrel in anautornatic'gun of the kind described, ithe cartridge must obviously, be transported in a number of differentdirections, namely in part substantiaHyperpendicuIar to the longitudinal axis; of the cartridge, and in part in the direction of the cartridge axis. The separate mechanism for this purpose usually comprise means forholding the cartridge steady relative to a cartfidge feeding means of the mechanism during a feeding operationysaid means during the final part of an operationa'lsequence entering, together with thecartridge, the

path, alongwhich the cartridge is to be brought during a following operational sequence.

Consequently, a following operational sequence required for further transport of a cartridge on its way to the cartridge-chamber of the barrel, can not proceed undisturbed before the cartridge holding means of the mechr anism, which provides the next preceding operational sequence for, feeding forth the cartridge, are withdrawn flfrormthe, path for the following movement of the cartridge; On the other hand and in order to avoid undesired delay, a following operational sequence should start control means comprising a flow valve for controlling im-,

polling medium for said motor, said control means having a position in which the reciprocating motor receives impellingu-medium to drive the ramming mechanism in a direction for moving a cartridge forward through the cartridge-guide means, and a position in which the motor receives impelling medium to drive the ramming mechanism back into its rear position ready for a successive motion forward for ramming a cartridge,

In order to provide a starting of the ramming movement of the ramming mechanism without severe interval after a cartridge having been moved forward to the cartridge'guide and also to secure that the movement of the ramming mechanism for ramming is not started before the cartridge conveying means by which the cartridge has been brought into the cartridge-guide have moved out of the path of the cartridge during its movement in the axial direction of the cartridge-guide, the device according to the invention is constructed according to the following:

The control means, which comprise a directional flow valve for switching over the motor of the ramming mechanism for driving the ramming means thereof in either direction, comprises a first flow valve actuating means for bringing the flow valve from a first position, in which the motor is connected to a motor driving medium source for driving the ramming means backward in the direction from the cartridge-chamber toward the rearmost position thereof, in which it is in position for starting a following ramming movement, to a second position in which the motor receives driving means for driving the ramming means forward from said rearmost position in the direction towards the cartridge-chamber. Said first flow valve actuating means and said cartridge conveying means by which a cartridge is introduced into the cartridge-guide each comprise actuating members, which are mutually cooperative during a return movement, and during a return movement only, of said cartridge conveying means from the end position thereof for depositing a cartridge in the cartridge-guide means of the ramming mechanism. A second flow valve actuating means is arranged to cooperate with the ramming means of the ramming mechanism, or a component movable therewith, at the end of the ramming movement thereof towards the cartridge-chamber, this second actuating means being arranged to ac tuate the flow valve to switch over the flow valve from said second position to said first position, in which last position the motor, via the flow valve, receives driving means for driving the ramming means in the direction from the cartridge-chamber back to its rearmost position, ready for starting a successive ramming motion.

By this arrangement the desired result is obtained; that is, the ramming means is automatically started as soon as the cartridge conveying means by which the cartridge is introduced in the cartridge-guide in a direction perpendicular to the cartridge-axis has left its end position when depositing a cartridge in the cartridge-guide and after the cartridge retaining means of said conveying means have been withdrawn from the path of the cartridge in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge-guide.

In a preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention, the flow valve comprises a directional force means to yieldingly hold the flow valve in said first position in which the motor is connected to the driving medium source to bring the ramming means into and hold these means in the rearmost position, that is the start position for a ramming movement, and a releasable valve retaining means for retaining the fiow valve in the second position thereof against the action of said directional force means when the flow valve has been brought into this second position thereof by action of said first flow valve actuating means, as well as releasing means cooperative with said valve retaining means to leave the fiow valve free to move back into its first position by action of the directional force means said releasing means being actuated by said second fiow valve actuating means when these last mentioned actuating means are actuated by the cartridge ramming means at the end of a ramming movement.

The invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a device according to the invention comprising a ramming mechanism and a cartridge-guide, and a detail of a cartridge-hoist for conveying cartridges to the cartridge-guide.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical side view of the device according to FIG. 1 after a cartridge has been deposited in the cartridge-guide by means of the cartridge-hoist and during the return movement of the hoist,

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the device in a position, in which the motor is moving forward during ramming, and

FIG. 4 is a section through an embodiment of a flow valve for controlling the fluid flow to a hydraulic motor of a device according to FIGS. l-3.

In FIG. 1 the device according to the invention is illustrated in combination with a cartridge-rammer 1, which is located above and movable back and forth along a cartridge-guide 2, here illustrated as comprising upper and lower guide bars 3 and 4, respectively, and mounted rearwardly of a breech ring 5, a breech block and a cartridge-chamber (not illustrated) of the gun barrel 6. A cartridge/hoist 7 is movable upwardly and downwardly, as indicated by the double-arrow 8, in a hoist shaft. The hoist 7 is being driven by driving means (not illustrated) and conveys cartridges, one by one, from a cartridge magazine (not illustrated) located below cartridge-guide 2. When lifted by the hoist a cartridge enters into the cartridge-guide between the lower guide-bars 4. To make possible the introduction of a cartridge from below, these lower guide-bars are brought aside from each other during the last part of the upward movement of the hoist, whereafter they are brought back into the position illustrated in the drawing for holding the cartridge, as soon as the cartridge has been introduced between the guide-bars. The means providing this movement of the lower guide bars are not illustrated in the drawing as not being part of this invention.

The cartridge-hoist comprises a support platform 9 for a cartridge, said platform 9 comprising front and rear cartridge retaining means 10 to hold a cartridge in the longitudinal direction thereof, the cartridge being held steady in a lateral direction during the upward movement from the magazine by side walls defining the hoist shaft.

The device of the invention comprises an hydraulic piston motor 14, having a piston 38 and a piston rod 13,

this piston rod 13 being connected to the cartridge rammer 1 by means of a lug 12 of the rammer. The cylinder of motor 14 is secured to a part 15, which is stationary relative to the gun barrel during ramming.

The hydraulic motor 14 comprises two fluid duct connections 16 and 17, respectively, for a pressurized fluid, the connections 16 and 17 communicating with cylinder spaces 41 and 40, respectively, on either sides of piston 38. As is described more in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the connection 16 and 17 further communicate with a flow control valve 18, and inlet and outlet ducts 42 and 20 respectively. The flow valve 18, illustrated in FIGS. 24 in the form of a piston slide valve, is, as is further described below, arranged to cooperate with a first flow valve actuating means to be brought by said actuating means from a position, the first position of the flow valve mentioned above, in which motor 14 receives fluid to force the cartridgerammer 1 into the rear starting position thereof for ramming, and into a position, the second position of the of the flow valve mentioned above, in which the motor 4. receives fluid for forcing the cartridge-rammer forward during ramming.

In the embodiment as illustrated, said first flow valve actuating means comprises a double-armed or bell crank lever 22 which is pivotal about a stationary pivot 21 and comprises an actuating arm 23 arranged to cooperate with a component of the hoist during part of the hoist motion.

For this purpose, the hoist platform 9 comprises a lug 11, which can cooperate with arm 23 over part of its way when moving together with the platform. A second arm 24 of lever 22 is, by means of a connecting rod 25, coupled to an arm 26 of a further bell crank lever 28, a second arm 29 of which is cooperative with flow valve 18 to switch over the flow valve from said first to said second position thereof.

The arrangement of the first flow valve actuating means thus described, and in particular the actuating arm 23 thereof, and lug 11 of the cartridge-hoist is such that lug 11 can pass past arm 23 during an upward movement of the hoist without the flow valve 18 being actuated, while, for a downward movement of the hoist from the uppermost position thereof after the introduction of a cartridge in the cartridge-guide, lug 11 cooperates with arm 23 to swing the arm out of the path of lug 11. Suitable means for obtaining such cooperation between lug 11 and arm 23 are as such obvious; in the embodiment as diagrammatically illustrated in the drawings arm 23 comprises a pivotal detent 23a extending from the arm into the path of lug 11 during hoisting. This detent 23a is pivotal upwardly from the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 2, in which it abuts against an abutment on arm 23 to prevent it from swinging downwardly.

A further flow valve actuating means, the second flow valve actuating means mentioned above, is present for bringing the flow valve from the second position into the first position thereof at the end of the forward motion of the cartridge-rammer. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, this second flow valve actuating means comprises a double-armed lever 32, which is pivotal about a pivot 31 and comprises two arms 33 and 34. The lever arm 33 is cooperative with a part of the cartridge-rammer 1, for instance lug 12 secured thereto, and is so arranged that it i actuated to swing lever 32 about pivot 31 when the cartridge-rammer reaches the end of its forward motion during ramming, and the lever arm 34 is cooperative with the flow valve to switch over the flow valve 18 from the second into the first position thereof.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 the cartridge-rammer 1, which comprises a detent 37 cooperating with the casebottom of a cartridge 36 for pushing forward the cartridge in cartridge-guide 2 during ramming, is connected to the motor piston 38 by means of a piston connecting rod 13, the diameter of which is rather large as compared with the diameter of the motor cylinder. Then, if the piston, as is the case in the device illustrated in FIGS. 2-4 for one of said positions of the flow valve, is being exposed to the same impelling fluid pressure on both sides of the piston, the piston will be pushed in the piston rod direction by a force proportional to the pressure of the fluid and the sectional area of piston rod 13. The inlet duct 42 for the fluid permanently connects, by means of a duct 43, to the connection 17 of the cylinder space 40 surrounding piston rod 13, while the connection 16 to the cylinder space 41 on the opposite side of piston 38 connects, in dependence of the position of flow valve 18, either to the inlet duct 42 via the inlet duct 19 of the flow valve 18, or to an outlet duct 20 for the fluid, leading to a fluid sump. In the first instance the hydraulic motor 14 exerts a force on the cartridge-rammer to move it forward for a ramming motion, while in the second instance the cartridge-rammer i exposed to a force in the opposite direction, the magnitude of which is proportional to the fluid pressure and the area of the annular surface; of, piston 38 constituting an end wall of the annular cylinder space 40.

Flow valve 18 comprises a slide valve member 51, illustrated inform of, atwin-piston, which is slidably arranged in a bore 50 and movable between one position,

, FIGSJZ and 4, in whichduct 44 communicates withthe outlet duct and the inlet duct 19 is closed, this position being said first position of the flow valve. The flow val ve 18 further comprises a directional force means, a spring 52,ltending to bring the piston 51 into an end position win which the flow valve is in said first position,

3 and a member 30 arranged to cooperate with arm 29 tofflthe :zsaid first flow valve actuating means 21-29 to push the piston 51 into the position illustrated in FIG. 3, tagainst theaction of spring 52, during a downward movementof the cartridge-hoist 9. Flow valve 18 is thusbrought into the said second position thereof, in

whichrtl'letconnection between duct 44 and outlet duct .20.? is blockedpand duct 44, via flow valve 18, connects to inlet duct 19.

After, having been brought into this position by said first flow valve actuating means 21-29, the piston 51 is ment ofvalve member 51, and thereleasable retaining means comprises an annular disc 54, zthaving an aperture which is so dimensioned that the internal wall thereof cooperate with pin 30 for retaining the piston against movement in the direction of the force exerted by spring 52 when'xthe disc, by abutting against an edge of which rests: on an abutment 53HWhiCh is located excentrically relative to the disc, is being titled into an oblique posi tion. As soon as the disc has moved into thi position, pin 130 is. being locked against further movement in the directionof the .force exerted by spring 52, that is in the .right hand directionin FIG. 3. A spring 55 aids in bringing thedisc 54 into its locking position.

The device further comprises a releasing means for the retaining means thus described, consisting of a releasing ,member in form of a pin 35,cooperative with said second flow valve actuating means 31 through 34 and arranged-to push disc 54, against the action of spring 55, to a position, in which pin 30 is left free to move in the right-hand direction, FIG; 3, by action of spring 52,

The ,functionof a device according to the invention Will be described in the following, beginning from a situation, in which a cartridge, together with the cartridge-hoist 7, is conveyed upwardly towards cartridgeguide 2 from a cartridge outlet part of the magazine. At this moment, the fluid flow control piston 51 of flow valve 13 joccupies the position illustrated in FIG. 2, said position being the first position mentioned above, in which thewcylinder space 41 communicates with the fluid outlet duct 20 via the flow valve, and the cartridge-rammer 1 has been brought to and is held in the position illustrated in: FIG. 2 by fluid pressure prevailing in the annular cylinder space 40. The cartridge-rammer 1 is thus in a position, in which it is ready for ramming. Shortly before the hoist has reached the position in which the cartridge :ha been introduced into the cartridge-guide .2to be deposited therein, lug 11 of the hoist will pass past detent 23a on arm 23, without, however, the flow valve means being actuated. Afterthe cartridge has been deposited in the cartridge-guide, hoist 7 commences itsdownward movement, as indicated by arrow 60 in FIG. 2, during which movement lug 11 engages detent 23a i:which, for this direction of movement of the hoist,

,, catches the: lug, and, by articulating arm 23, actuates said first fiowyvalve actuating means 21-29., as illustrated byarrow 611.1 As a consequence, pin 30 and piston 51 are "6 pushed, against the action of spring 52, into the position illustrated in FIG. 3.

As soon as lug 11 has moved past detent 23a, while articulating arm 23, the first flow valve actuating means 21-29 returns to its original, rest position by action of a directional force, for instance gravity, the valve piston 51 however being retained in the position thereof illustrated in FIG 3. In this position the cylinder space 41 is connected to the fluid inlet duct 42, the outlet duct 20 being blocked by the piston 51, Consequently, the motor piston 14 is forced forward, bringing the cartridgerammer 1 and the cartridge with it forward towards the cartridge-chamber of the barrel.

Towards the end of the ramming motion the cartridgerammer hits arm 33 of the second flow valve actuating means 31-34, which in its turn actuates pin 35 to push the retaining disc 54 of the valve retaining means 53-55 into a position, in which pin 38 is left free to move in its longitudinal direction within the aperture of disc 54. The retaining means thus having been released, the piston 51 returns, by influence of spring 52, to the position in which cylinder space 41 of the fluid motor is connected to outlet duct 26, the cartridgearammer thus being brought back to and is held in its start position for a. successive ramming movement.

This succession of operations is then repeated after the introduction of a next cartridge in the cartridge-guide by means of the hoist.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding thereof, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A device for ramming cartridges by conveying a cartridge along a cartridge-guide means forward to the cartridge chamber of an automatic gun, said device comprising, in combination:

a ramming mechanism including a reciprocating ramming means;

a reciprocating pressure fluid-operated motor;

control means including a flow valve for controlling the flow of pressure fluid to said motor;

a cartridge conveying means for feeding a cartridge to the cartridge-guide means; said flow valve having a first position, in which said motor is connected to a source of pressure fluid for driving said ramming means backward from a forward position thereof toward a rearmost position thereof in which rearmost position the ramming means is in position for starting a following ramming movement, and a second position in which the motor is connected. to said fluid source for driving the ramming means forward from said rearmost position in the direction towards the cartridge-chamher, and said control means further including a first flow valve actuating means for moving the flow valve from said first position to said second position during a return movement of said cartridge conveying means from an end position thereof for feeding the cartridge to the cartridge-guide means;

and a second flow valve actuating means cooperative with the ramming means at the end of the forward movement thereof for moving the flow valve from said second position to said first position;

said cartridge conveying means being movable upwardly and downwardly in a reciprocating movement between a position to feed the cartridge to the cartridge-guide means and a position externally of said cartridge-guide means to receive the cartridge to be conveyed to the cartridge-guide means, and said firstfiow valve actuating means including unidirectional actuating members to actuate said first flow valve actuating means during the return movement only of the cartridge conveying means from said end position thereof, to feed the cartridge to the cartridge-guide means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1941 Vickers 89-47 5/1958 Wertrnan 8945 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

FRED C, MATTERN, JR., Examiner.

S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

